The Ties That Bind: Drabbles
by faithx5452
Summary: To bring down San Francisco's racketeering ring, FBI Agent Rachel Berry will have to go undercover and face the Unholy Trinity. -Faberry, Brittana, bits of Quinntana and Quitt. [tentative summary]


**Title**: The Ties That Bind (tentative title)

**Rating**: M

**Author's Note**: This has been rattling around in my brain for a bit. For now, this is a drabble of a bigger picture that will slowly be unveiled. Unfortunately, dear readers, as always I cannot promise when completion will come around. Keep watching/reading, reviews are always appreciated!

**Disclaimer**: I lay no claim to any of the characters in the following creative piece, just borrowing them for a bit.

"The Ties That Bind: Quinn's Story"

"How did you get into this? I mean, this lifestyle isn't something that you just fall into, is it?"

Quinn allowed herself a small chuckle at Rachel's naïve question. "No, it doesn't exactly work out that way. Not if you end up in a position that I'm in."

"Which is?"

Quinn just waves her hand dismissively, "Russell was a lot of things to me growing up. The only thing he valued more than his religious beliefs were his secrets and he had many. His darkest ones were kept all throughout my childhood, it wasn't until I came out East for college that I realized how much of a stranger he was to me."

Rachel leans forward as Quinn pauses to finish her drink. The bartender is quick to refill the drink without being prompted. Just like many under Quinn's hold, he knows his place. He disappears to the other end of the bar as fast as he appeared, leaving them to their conversation.

"Judy," Quinn continues, her tone as bitter as the whiskey that's burning down her throat, "called me one night during my first term, she was hysterical but the only thing I could understand was that Russell was in the hospital after a particularly nasty fall at work."

"He fell?"

"Down three flights of stairs. Two men showed up at his office, a story had been published about the company's recent successes and he was in the photo that accompanied the article. Somehow the story had made the rounds to the wrong people, the ones he had burned in the past, and they came for him."

"What…why…?" Rachel was flabbergasted. She knew Russell Fabray wasn't the greatest human being, in fact he was downright repulsive, but she never imagined him as a criminal.

"Russell's side of the family had ties to the mob. They were thieves, bookies, enforcers, drivers…you name it and at some point a Fabray has filled the role. Russell's obsession for perfection made him perfect as a Cleaner for the Irish mob."

Rachel swallowed. In some sick, twisted way, the imagery of Russell Fabray meticulously cleaning up after a mob hit and whistling a choir medley somehow fit.

"The mob he was involved with started to dwindle in power, right before my sister was born, after several stings from the FBI and ATF. With most of the family in prison or dead, Russell was able to get away from that life and brought us to Ohio. As the years went by, he foolishly began to believe that he had put his past to rest when the last surviving family member of the mob died in prison. Thing is," Quinn chucked back the last bit of whiskey, her lip sneering a bit, "not everyone is so eager to let you forget who you are and where you've come from."

"The two men were from a rival family?" Rachel guessed.

Quinn raised her hand, stopping the bartender from coming over again. "Close enough, they were contracted by a Russian mob who felt that they would take out their revenge on anyone who had been associated with the Irish mob Russell had been involved with. What Russell didn't know was while we were living safely and unaware in Ohio, the Russians had slowly taken care of anyone who had ties with that Irish family. With Russell in the wind for so many years, it was harder to track him down…"

"But the photograph in the paper led them to you."

"Russell's 'accident' was a warning of things to come. With Russell as the last strand, the Russians wanted to draw it out as much as possible."

"Did your mother ever know? Did you or your sister?"

"My sister and I never knew but Judy had her suspicions. There's only so many reasons Russell can give for why there are remnants of blood spatter in his laundry."

"They killed him."

"Yes."

"And Judy?"

"Yes."

"Your sister?"

"Yes."

"But you…?"

"I was already gone after they went for my sister."

..._to be continued..._


End file.
